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User blog:SetRobOff/All Four One, One Four All: Chapter Fifteen
Chapter fourteen, if you missed it. http://degrassi.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:SetRobOff/All_Four_One,_One_Four_All:_Chapter_Fourteen CHAPTER FIFTEEN Shout out to Sarah for the poster artwork <3 ' ' Ten Months Later, May 2017 (The Trail) Just as they bravely vowed to do, Maya, Zoe, Shay and Frankie spent the rest of the summer, fall, first half of winter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, second half of winter and most of spring doing the best that they could to remain hopeful and happy. They continued to hang out and have fun with each other in addition to their respective boyfriends, all of whom they were still going strong with. Everyone temporarily put university off for another year, preferring to be done with the trial first. The love and support they received from their families, lawyers and the boys who have stood by them unyieldingly made it much easier to get through the aftermath of the tragedy as well as the anticipation of the trial. The only remotely good news was that the girls' charge was downgraded from second-degree murder to voluntary manslaughter for the simple fact that Amy had a criminal record of petty theft in her teens. The few days leading up to trial, however, were nerve-racking. The girls were losing sleep and even found themselves crying again but through it all, they consoled each other and were given constant comfort from those who loved them with all their hearts. The only emotionally distant one, however, was Frankie's father. Needless to say, neither Mr. Hollingsworth or Mr. Penn, Janelle's father, won the mayoral election but the two men were still in a subtle rivalry considering that one's daughter was being tried, along with her three best friends, for the death of the other's daughter. The rear seats of the courtroom were filled to capacity with dozens of spectators, including the girls' parents and boyfriends. Just getting inside of the courtroom alone was a struggle due to a sizeable group of reporters pointing cameras and microphones into the girls faces as they were being ushered inside. However, their lawyers refused to allow the reporters to get any answers out of their already shaken and anxiety-ridden clients. When they finally took their place at the defense table, Zoe, Frankie, Shay and Maya, all conservatively dressed for the occasion, stared ahead in silence with their respective lawyers standing beside them. BAILIFF: All rise for the Honorable Judge Rufus Linton, presiding! Once the grim-faced, white-haired judge entered the courtroom and claimed his seat in his large chair, he told everyone to be seated. Adjusting his eyeglasses, he scanned through his docket and then examined the courtroom for several seconds to see that the prosecution, defense and jurors were all in place before he spoke. JUDGE LINTON: Are we ready to proceed? The prosecution as well as the girls' respective lawyers replied that they were ready. Once the judge told him to do so, the prosecutor, Mr. Ryan Engberg, delivered his opening statement, arguing to the jurors that the four teenage girls were local delinquents of Toronto who lived for trouble and only grew more ruthless and violent over time. Mr. Engberg didn't sugarcoat a word of what the prosecution wanted the court to believe was the "truth" as he blatantly demonized the girls' by referring to them with terms such as "ticking time bombs" and "remorseless homicidal criminals" for which the daughter of a God-fearing, hardworking citizen paid for with his life upon an unfortunate encounter with them. Maya, Zoe, Shay and Frankie resisted the urge to cry but they found it difficult to hear their names and characters being defamed and smeared with such dirt and untruth. Their parents and boyfriends found it equally painful to sit by and hear such horrible accusations about the girls they loved and knew better than anyone else in the courtroom. When the prosecutor was done, the girls' lawyers individually delivered their opening statements. Although they were each representing a different girl, they spoke confidently to the courtoom and remained consistent with the story in addition to pointing out several facts that they felt were a testament to the girls' credibility such as their outstanding academic performance in high school, the prestigious universities they were all accepted to, the stable homes(or in Frankie's case, at least what appeared to be stable) they were raised in, their clean records and the fact that they waited for authorities to arrive to the crime scene instead of attempting to flee. Frankie's lawyer, especially, presented a powerful argument and emphasized it as "common sense"; why would a girl like Francesca Hollingsworth, who was born and raised in privilege, 'need' to rob anyone? After that, several different witnesses were called to the stand, including the eyewitness(the elderly gentleman who called the police in the first place), to answer several questions concerning the night of the homicide. MR. ENGBERG: Your Honor, at this point, I'd like to call Amy Peters-Hoffman to the stand. Maya and her friends weren't surprised to see Amy in court; they knew she had to be. It was her whole persona and attire ''that left them shocked and dumbfounded. She looked like a completely different person. As the infamous Amy, the true perpetrator of last year's horrific brawl that ended with an untargeted casuality, took a seat at the stand, the girls' stared at her with bulged eyes and open jaws in a state of shock, confusion and disbelief. Amy was wearing a gray suitjacket over a black turtleneck sweater with a matching knee-length gray skirt, black stockings and black close-toed, low-heeled shoes. She was also wearing some thick-framed eyeglasses and her light-brown hair was styled in a very modest French braid. Amy embodied the length that the other side has basically resorted to in order to heighten the girls' chances of being convicted. Discouraged and disgusted, Maya, Shay, Frankie and Zoe had to look away; appalled at the sight of their biggest tormentor putting on the appearance of a timid, mild-mannered "Plain Jane" dressed in clothing that she normally wouldn't be caught dead in and a surprisingly eloquent form of speech. After being sworn in, Amy prepared to put on such a mind-blowing performance that any seasoned, award-winning thespian like Meryl Streep would envy. MR. ENGBERG:(Smiling) Good afternoon. AMY: Good afternoon, sir. MR. ENGBERG: Can you please state your full name for the record? AMY: My name is Amy Peters-Hoffman. MR. ENGBERG: Are you employed, Ms. Peters? AMY: Yes, sir. MR. ENGBERG: Could you please briefly describe the nature of your occupation? AMY: Yes, sir. I'm an event organizer of the youth program at Forward Baptist Church. I'm in charge of planning things such as trips and parties for the children. I also lead the youth bible study class every Sunday morning. Impressed, Mr. Engberg nodded and then briefly surveyed the crowd for any facial reaction. Much to his pleasure, every facial reaction was positive or at worse, neutral, except for the defendants' and their loved ones who knew better. In fact, the truth was that Janelle's father strategically asked the pastor of the church, a close friend of his, to hire Amy. Having lost his daughter ''and ''the election, this man was playing for keeps and would stop at nothing to ensure that Maya and friends would leave this courtroom in handcuffs. MR. ENGBERG: Very good, Ms. Peters. The next question I'd like to ask you is, how well did you know Janelle Penn? Amy sighed, bit down on her lip and answered with teary eyes. AMY: We were best friends. MR. ENGBERG: Are you okay, Ms. Peters? Amy nodded although more tears continued to flow, at which point, the prosecutor requested a box of tissues for her before he proceeded with the questioning. MR. ENGBERG: Ms. Peters, can you please explain to the court everything that happened leading up to the tragic incident? AMY:(dabbing at her eyes with the tissue) Yes, sir. I was due to arrive at the church where I'm currently employed very early in the morning and Janelle accompanied me for the bus ride. It was five-something in the morning...still very dark outside....when we got off of the bus to go to another stop which would be the correct route for where we were headed. So....on our way to the other bus stop.....we were approached by four girls on that block. MR. ENGBERG: Do you recognize any of those four girls in this courtroom as we speak, Ms. Peters? And if so, will you kindly point out to us we're they are sitting? AMY:(in a whispery tone) Sure. One by one, Amy pointed out Maya, Frankie, Zoe and Shay at the defense table, to which the judge and others took note of. MR. ENGBERG: Ms. Peters, was that the only encounter you've ever had with the defendants? AMY: No, sir. In a year's span or so, it has been several times that the four of them have harassed me as well as my friend Janelle. At first, it was nothing more than horrible name-calling but over time it escalated to threats of physical harm and they even took money from of us once before. Outraged by this tremendous lie that Amy was telling, the girls' had to fight with all of their might not to scream out in protest. Zoe, unfortunately, lost control. ZOE:(Screeching) SHE'S LYING! The bailiff started walking towards her, prepared to throw her out if the judge said so. JUDGE LINTON:(In a growling tone) Ms. Rivas! Contain yourself immediately or you will be removed from this courtroom. Is that understood? ZOE'S LAWYER: Yes, your honor. It won't happen again. Zoe's lawyer gave her a light squeeze on the shoulder and quietly cautioned her not to do that again. Once that was settled, the prosecutor carried on. MR. ENGBERG: Ms. Peters, please continue. What happened after you were confronted by the defendants on the night, or technically, morning of the tragedy? AMY: They blocked our path, pulled out knives and forced us inside of this old, abandoned house where they demanded our money. I gave them what little cash I had on me at the time but Janelle kept saying how sick she was of them doing this to us, so she tried to stand her ground.... Forced into silence for the moment, the girls boiled on the inside, ready to burst at any given moment. As hard as it was to do, however, they used every bit of strength they had in them to keep quiet as Amy's fabricated story nearly made their ears bleed. AMY:(Exhales) She tried to stand her ground but the four of them were relentless. They all physically jumped on us. Janelle and I did our best to fight them off and get away. We struggled for a few minutes and then....(Choking up)....and then suddenly, I saw Janelle on the floor, bleeding from her throat. (Breaks down and cries) She....she stabbed her! Oh my God, she stabbed her...she killed her! Wailing like a newborn child, Amy pressed a chunk of tissues to her tear-ridden, snot-nosed face as she bawled her grief out for the entire courtroom to hear. The tears for the loss of her best friend may have been real; however, the story she was telling was not. All the defendants' could do was pray that a juror would not be swayed by this performance. MR. ENGBERG: Do you need a few minutes to calm down, Ms. Peters? AMY:(clearing her throat and drying her eyes) No. No, sir, it's fine... MR. ENGBERG: Did you see ''who ''stabbed Janelle Penn? AMY:(nods) Yes......(She pointed in Maya's direction) It was her. MR. ENGBERG: Let the record reflect that the witness pointed out Maya Matlin. He asked Amy several more questions and then stepped away so that the girls' lawyers could cross-examine her. When questioned by the defense, Amy kept her answers short and simple, quickly denying anything that was incriminating towards her. The girls' lawyers were careful not to press her too hard for fear that any juror that Amy may have won over with her performance would resent the defense if they felt like she was being badgered in any way. Once Amy was dismissed from the stand, she walked away, purposely maintaining a mournful facial expression and eyeing the ground to maintain whatever sympathy she possibly received for her made-up "ordeal". All the defense had to rely on was the girls' credibility and their flawlessly clean records. Frankie, Zoe and Shay each had a turn on the stand to be questioned by their respective lawyers and the prosecutor. As they've all agreed to do, each girl told the same exact story and answered every question with certainty and confidence. When questioned by the prosecution, the three girls weren't pressed too hard for answers nor were the questions anything more than basic to begin with. Maya's lawyer, Trudy Gottlieb, had a suspicious feeling about the prosecution's motive about why the other defendants were let off so easily with the questioning; and the suspicion was confirmed once it was her client's turn to take the stand. After being sworn in, Maya bravely but humbly prepared herself for the cross-examination. All eyes were on her now as the star defendant. MR. ENGBERG: Good afternoon, Ms. Matlin. How are you? MAYA:(with a vague smile) I'm okay. Thank you. MR. ENGBERG:(Nods) Good. So, Ms. Matlin, please tell the court your version of the story, leading ''up to the incident and after it was over. MAYA:(leans towards the microphone) Yes, sir. My three friends and I were at our prom..... Without stumbling or stuttering once, Maya commenced to accurately detail the entire story, the same way Shay, Zoe and Frankie did, minus one detail that they agreed not to mention. When Maya was finished, she exhaled; word for word, the events of that night was painful to relive but she remained brave. MR. ENGBERG: Thank you, Ms. Matlin. Now, I just have a few more questions to ask you, and then we're done on your part. Okay? MAYA:(Nods) Yes, sir. MR. ENGBERG: On the night of June 17th, of last year, the night before the early morning incident of the 18th, you and your three friends, your co-defendants, were at your senior prom. Did I hear you correctly? MAYA: Yes, sir. MR. ENGBERG: At this prom, Ms. Matlin, have you been consuming any alcohol? MAYA: No, sir. MR. ENGBERG: Have you been using any drugs ''at this prom? MAYA:(shakes her head) Not at all. With a sly smirk on his face, the prosecutor took a couple steps closer to her. MR. ENGBERG: Were you and your co-defendants, Ms. Powers, Ms. Rivas and Ms. Hollingsworth, using drugs or drinking alcohol ''after ''the prom....at the HOTEL to be precise? Maya as well as all of their friends, relatives, boyfriends and lawyers were shocked and speechless. The 'hotel part' was the big question that the prosecution purposely saved for Maya. What troubled her however, was how did he ''know ''to ask this question. All of her faith came crashing down, as Maya's secret, as well as her friends' secret, was somehow uncovered. MR. ENGBERG: Ms. Matlin, I ask again.....did you and your friends go to a hotel after the prom with your dates to drink, use drugs and have sexual intercourse, on that night several hours before Janelle Penn's death? Maya was frozen with silence; she had no idea what to say. From the corner of her eye, she can see her bewildered attorney mouthing the words "''What the hell?". Maya's heart rate doubled in speed as she saw the prosecutor grab a plastic, sealed bag, remove it's contents and walk back towards her for her to see them. MR. ENGBERG: Do you recognize these items, Ms. Matlin? In one hand was the plastic coffee mug with the words 'Marriot Hotel '''inscribed on it. It was the same mug that Amy found in Shay's purse when she was looking for cash to steal. In his other hand, he held the small marijuana joint that came from Zoe's purse. The prosecutor entered the items as evidence and asked Maya the same question yet again. MR. ENGBERG:(Frustrated) For the third time, Ms. Matlin, were you or were you not at the Marriot Hotel, having sex, drinking and using drugs shortly before you ''killed Janelle Penn! Maya's lawyer hopped to her feet and yelled. MS. GOTTLIEB: Objection, your honor! JUDGE LINTON: Sustained. Mr. Engberg, rephrase that question. MR. ENGBERG:(with a sarcastic smirk) Will do, your honor. Pardon me. Before he could attempt to restate the question, Maya started shaking and sobbing with dread. MS. GOTTLIEB: Your honor, may I request a few minutes to speak with my client? JUDGE LINTON:(glances at his watch and then nods) It's 2:27PM. The court will have a half hour recess and we will resume at 3PM sharp. '' The judge banged his gavel as he and everyone else exited the courtroom. Alone in the hallway with her parents and her attorney, all of whom were very upset with her, Maya cried her eyes out and apologized repeatedly. MAYA: Mom and Dad, I'm so sorry! I knew you'd be upset, that's why I didn't say anything. MRS. MATLIN:(placing a hand over her heart and crying) Honey, I... Maya's mother couldn't even finish her sentence and her father couldn't even look at her, because he was extremely disappointed. To find out that their daughter not only snuck off to have sex in between the prom and the homicide but have failed to be honest about it, was too much for them to bear. However, her lawyer definitely had a few words for her. MS. GOTTLIEB: Maya, do you realize how that one omission could turn this entire case upside down? MAYA:(stares at the floor) I didn't...(sobs harder) I just didn't think it would matter. MS. GOTTLIEB: Maya, of course it mattered! Everything leading up to that young woman's death mattered! You don't get to decide what is or isn't important to mention! Maya nearly collasped from her intense crying but her mother was there to catch her and hug her tightly. Though her father offered no comfort, physically, he stared at his distraught daughter with more compassion than anger. Ms. Gottlieb waited until Maya was reasonably calm to continue speaking. MS. GOTTLIEB:(touching her shoulder) Maya, I need you to tell me ''everything ''right now. Don't leave out a single detail, not even the color of the ''walls ''of that hotel room. At this point, the court could be under the impression that you're a murderer ''and ''a deceitful drug addict. That's not good for our case. ''Your ''case. So please, I need to know ''everything. At 3:00PM, everyone returned to the courtroom on time to resume their places just as the judge ordered. Maya had cried so much for the past half hour that she was feeling light-headed and nauseous by the time she returned to the stand. Frankie, Zoe and Shay had a similar breakdown with their respective attorneys and parents that Maya had with hers. By the time all four girls were back in the courtroom, all they could do was stare blankly, drained emotionally with no tears left in them to cry. JUDGE LINTON: Mr. Engberg, please proceed. Mr. Engberg politely acknowledged the judge and approached the stand where Maya was sitting to pick up where he left off. MR. ENGBERG: On the night of June 17th, 2016...last year, did you and your three best friends go to the Marriott Hotel to engage in sexual intercourse, drink alcohol and use drugs? Against her better judgment, Maya's attorney made one last attempt to save her client from having to answer the question.. MS. GOTTLIEB: Objection, your honor. Irrelevant. MR. ENGBERG: Your honor, the only point to my question is to simply get an idea of the defendants' mental condition prior to the victim's death. JUDGE LINTON: Overruled. Mr. Engberg, restate the question one last time. MR. ENGBERG:(Speaks slowly) Ms. Matlin, yet again I ask....on the night of June 17th, of last year, did you and your three best friends, your co-defendants, check into the Marrriot Hotel....to HAVE SEX....CONSUME ALCOHOL....and USE....DRUGS? Maya's eyes darted from Miles to her parents to her lawyer to her three equally fearful best friends and lastly, to the prosecutor. With a long, drawn-out sigh, she finally answered. MAYA:(with her head down) I didn't do any drugs, sir. There was a series of gasps that echoed through the courtroom as the defendants' loved ones shook their heads and fought back tears of shame. The prosecutor was far from through with her though. MR. ENGBERG: To be clear, Ms. Matlin, you supposedly weren't doing any drugs at this hotel but you and your three friends, were in fact there, nonetheless, shortly before Janelle Penn's death. Is that a fact? MAYA: Yes. MR. ENGBERG: So, are you saying that when I asked your co-defendants, Ms. Hollingsworth, Ms. Powers and Ms. Rivas, the SAME question, they all LIED under oath? MAYA:(Sighs again) Yes, sir. MR. ENGBERG:(Nods) Okay then....(clears throat). Ms. Matlin, could you please tell the court the full name of your prom date as well as your personal companion to the Marriot Hotel? MAYA:(trembling) Miles.....Miles Hollingsworth the third. Everyone in the courtroom instantly made the connection, for most, if not all of them, were quite familiar with Miles Hollingsworth the second when he was running for mayor. Plus, one of the defendant's being tried for this homicide carried that same surname. What was already obvious to everyone in the room should have been left alone but the ruthless prosecutor had to rub it in for emphasis. MR. ENGBERG:(smugly) For the record, Ms. Matlin, this 'Miles Hollingsworth the third', is your boyfriend as well as the brother of your co-defendant, Francesca Hollingsworth; is that correct? MAYA:(irritated) Yes. Miles sank down low into his seat, covering his face with his hands as his father looked over at him with a stone-cold glare in his eyes. MR. ENGBERG:(grabbing a folder from his table) Your Honor....I have here records from the Marriott Hotel, dated June 17th, 2016, at 11:54PM, showing that four different rooms were paid for, via credit card, in the name of Miles Hollingsworth III. The murder took place several hours later as the coroner's report states that Janelle Penn was pronounced dead at the scene on June 18th at 5:42AM, clearly even sooner than that if you factor in the time it took for said coroner and authorities to arrive. The girls were all still in shock; this was a ''nightmare, ''or at least they wished it was. Sitting in the rear seats, Janelle's father, Maurice Penn, stared on with a sinister grin on his face. As the trial continued, the mug found in Shay's purse and the records of transactions at the hotel served as concrete evidence of the girls being there. The joint recovered from the crime scene that Zoe previously had in her purse, proved that at least most of girls have gotten high that night. Photos of the girls' clothings soiled with Janelle's blood were shown as well. Lastly, the knife containing both Maya's and Janelle's fingerprints were discussed, which backed up the testimonies of the prosecution, defense and Amy, that a brief violent struggle ensued between them before Janelle's death. It was up to the jury at that point to decide who they believed ''started ''that struggle; so they spent the next two hours deliberating. Once everyone was back in the courtroom, stomachs twisted, turned, flipped and flopped once it was announced that the jury have reached a verdict. With no emotion or facial expression whatsoever, the judge read the verdict to himself, gave an indifferent nod of the head and handed the paper to the bailiff to give to the foreperson of the jury to read out loud. JUDGE LINTON: Will the defendants please rise? At the defense table, the four girls felt a shaky weakness in their knees as they rose to their feet, along with their attorneys. FOREPERSON: On charge of voluntary manslaughter......we the jury, find the defendants, Maya Danielle Matlin, Zoe Sarah Rivas, Francesca Jennifer Hollingsworth and Shaylynn Yasmine Powers.....GUILTY. An inevitable series of grief-stricken cries burst out from the mouths of the girls' devastated parents but the girls themselves, however, couldn't shed a tear. They've cried hundreds of times over the past year since the tragedy and they simply didn't have it in them anymore. There was no reaction whatsoever. Banging his gavel, the judge called for order and delivered his final statement for the day once the room got quiet enough. JUDGE LINTON: Bailiff, please remand the defendants, until 8:00AM tomorrow morning, at which point I will announce the sentencing. We stand adjourned. After one bang of his gavel, the judge walked away to his chambers while Shay, Frankie, Zoe and Maya were placed in handcuffs and escorted out of the courtroom. After all of the trauma from that fatal struggle, the grief over the life that was lost, the anxiety from the trial and the fear of a conviction, that sadly ''came true, ''the girls were completely drained of all emotion and innocence. With dry eyes, straight faces and heads held high, they left the courtroom ready to take on whatever was heading their way. Unlike the girls, their loved ones couldn't help but to break down. Mr. and Mrs. Matlin, Mrs. Hollingsworth, Mrs. Powers, Ms. Rivas, Zig, Tiny, Winston and Miles were all devastated; it showed all over their faces. One parent in particular, however, was burning up with a silent fury. Mr. Hollingsworth quietly but coldly glared at Miles as they all exited the courtroom. Category:Blog posts Category:Blog posts